RU2815467C1 - Method of hydro-vibroacoustic non-contact massage - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medical equipment, namely to a method of hydro-vibroacoustic massage. Massage involves immersing the patient into a liquid, generating hydroacoustic oscillations in the liquid using a device with a hydroacoustic transducer in direct contact of the transducer membrane with the liquid. Hydroacoustic infrasound oscillations are created in the liquid by means of a device with positive buoyancy and an electrodynamic transducer located in it, with contact of the transducer membrane with the liquid. Device has a hollow and sealed housing consisting of an upper and a lower connected parts; in the end part of the inner surface of the lower part there is an annular projection for fixing the membrane of the electromagnetic drive. On the lower part of the housing there are fixed a bracket on which an electromagnetic drive is fixed, and a bracket on which an accumulator is fixed. On the upper part of the housing there is a switch for operating modes of the control unit, as well as a handle. In the lower part of the housing there is a groove to prevent airing of the membrane and there are legs for installation on a solid surface.

EFFECT: ensuring uniformity and homogeneity of the hydroacoustic field distribution, enabling the possibility of switching on and controlling the device by the patient, improving the tightness of the device and the safety of its use, achieving the required technical characteristics of the transducer.

1 cl, 4 dwg

Description

The present invention relates to hydrovibroacoustic therapeutic and preventive massage.

From RF patent No. 2281080 a device for hydrovibroacoustic massage and its operating procedure are known, which can be taken as a prototype of the proposed method. The method of hydrovibroacoustic non-contact massage known from the prototype involves immersing the patient in a liquid, creating hydroacoustic vibrations in the liquid in a wide frequency range from 10 Hz to 100 MHz by an acoustic transducer (emitter) with direct contact of the transducer membrane with the liquid. All these essential features, except for the use of a piezoceramic type transducer, are also present in the proposed solution.

The prototype method allows for hydrovibroacoustic non-contact massage by immersing the housing with the emitter in liquid. Volumetric non-contact stimulating massage of a person’s body immersed in a liquid medium is produced by hydroacoustic waves created by the device’s transducer. The membrane of the device vibrates in the water and thereby creates a hydroacoustic field (pressure) in the water, which is transmitted through an elastic medium (water) and affects the patient’s body in the form of vibrations. In this case, the electronic unit with the generator of electrical signals is placed above the surface of the water, and the housing of the transducer (emitter of hydroacoustic waves) is immersed in the water. Due to the design of the transducer and its location in the water column, the hydroacoustic field spreads unevenly, incl. in different (opposite) directions from the emitter. For the operation of this device, it is necessary to have a block that fixes the position of the transducer so that it does not sink deeper and does not touch the patient’s body, which can lead to injury or cause other harm to the patient’s health. At the same time, the patient practically cannot control the massage process, the location of the device and the areas of its influence. There is a certain danger of the device losing its seal. Using a piezoceramic type transducer in reality is almost impossible, because for low frequencies of about 10 Hz, the transducer will have a size of more than 100 meters (piezoceramic transducers are actually used in resonant emitters due to the extremely small amplitude of oscillations of piezoceramics in non-resonant mode (units of microns)), a continuous frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 MHz for one device is impossible even theoretically due to the longitudinal and transverse resonances of the piezocylinder itself at many frequencies, high supply voltages (hundreds of volts) are completely unacceptable for medical devices that have direct contact with the human body, especially in water of any salinity.

The technical problems to be solved by the proposed solution are the following: ensuring the uniformity and homogeneity of the distribution of the hydroacoustic field, ensuring the ability to turn on and control the device by the patient himself, increasing the tightness of the device and the safety of its use, achieving the necessary technical characteristics of the transducer. Additionally, they solve the problem of complex (massage plus phototherapy) effects on the patient.

To solve these technical problems, a method of hydrovibroacoustic non-contact massage is proposed, which includes immersing the patient in a liquid, creating hydroacoustic vibrations in the liquid using a device with a hydroacoustic transducer in direct contact of the transducer membrane with the liquid, in which, unlike the prototype, creating hydroacoustic infrasonic vibrations in the liquid produced by means of a device with positive buoyancy and an electrodynamic type converter located in it, with the converter membrane in contact with the liquid. Additionally, the liquid exposes the patient to light waves (electromagnetic waves in the visible range of radiation) using LEDs for LED therapy located in the lower part of the body.

Thanks to the proposed solution, the following technical results are achieved. Due to the effect of the transducer membrane on the liquid (liquid in the bath), a uniform acoustic pressure field is created in the bath. Due to the location of the device with the converter on the surface of the water, it is possible to turn on, control and monitor the device by the patient himself, increasing the tightness and electrical safety and maintainability of the device (part of the device is located above the water). By using an electrodynamic type transducer, the required technical characteristics of the emitter are achieved - the operation of an elastic membrane with a large amplitude of oscillations (±10 mm or more), a soft, non-traumatic effect on the human body due to the creation of a body wave with a predominantly hydrostatic nature of the effect (the membrane of the electrodynamic type transducer excites in water, acoustic vibrations with a safe sound pressure level of up to 120 dB), low and completely safe supply voltages acceptable by many standards. An example of such an emitter is given in US patent No. US 20120051188. Due to the presence of LEDs for LED therapy, additional therapeutic effects on the patient with light are possible.

The proposed technical solution can be used to effectively perform massage (self-massage) in professional and home conditions, allowing for volumetric stimulating massage (including anti-cellulite and lymphatic drainage) of the human body immersed in a liquid environment. The massage is accompanied incl. alveolar massage of the lungs, activation of mechanoreceptors of internal organs, blood vessels and neuroreceptors due to changes in pressure gradients in blood vessels, individual organs and tissues, as well as reflexology due to a direct effect on the baroreceptors of the lungs and blood vessels. LED therapy (phototherapy) can also be performed during massage procedures. The method can find application in beauty salons, health, rehabilitation, SPA and fitness centers, in balneology, in sports, preventive and restorative medicine for physiotherapy and aesthetic cosmetology.

The solution is illustrated in figures 1-4, which show, respectively:

- figure 1 - bath with a patient and a device for hydrovibroacoustic massage located on the surface of the liquid;

- Fig.2 - general view of the device for hydrovibroacoustic massage in three projections;

- Fig.3 - general view of the device for hydrovibroacoustic massage with the upper part of the housing removed;

- Fig.4 - cross section of the device.

Figure 1 shows a bath with a patient and a device for hydrovibroacoustic massage located on the surface of the liquid. In this case, this device is completely autonomous - the battery unit, the electronic control unit and the electrodynamic type converter (electromagnetic drive) are located in one housing. The housing of the hydrovibroacoustic massage device shown in the figures 2-4 consists of two parts - the upper 1 and the lower 2, hermetically connected to it. The housing is hollow and sealed. In this case, the internal volume of the housing is selected based on ensuring its buoyancy - location on the surface of the water, provided that the emitter (membrane 4) is immersed in water. This can be implemented by selecting an appropriate volume of void inside, which can be filled with a porous material (for example, polyurethane foam).

The volume of the hull is selected based on ensuring buoyancy with a set of internal equipment, the configuration options for which were mentioned earlier. In the end part of the inner surface of the lower part 2 there is an annular protrusion 3 for fastening the membrane 4 of the drive 5. Also on the lower part of the housing 2 there is fixed a bracket 6 on which the drive 5 is fixed (in this case electromagnetic), as well as a bracket 7 on which the block is fixed power supply 8 (battery). On the upper part of the housing 2 (not shown in figure 3) there is a control unit 9 operating mode switch, in this case equipped with a touch control display 14 and a device power button 10, connected by cables (not shown in the figures) to the corresponding blocks. There is a groove 11 in the lower part of the body to prevent “airing” of the membrane 4. There are also legs 13 for easy installation on a hard surface and faster drying. LEDs for LED therapy (phototherapy) can be installed at the bottom of the device (not shown in the figures). A handle 12 is installed on the top part 1 of the housing for ease of use. The method is carried out as follows.

The patient sits in a bathtub or small pool filled with water (fresh, pine, mineral, etc.) in a position comfortable for him (lying, sitting, semi-sitting, etc.), takes the device and places it on the surface of the water. Due to the cutout 11, air escapes from under the membrane 4 without interfering with its contact with water. The patient uses the button 10 to turn on the device and, using the control unit 9 (in this case, the touch screen 14), selects the operating mode, duration of operation of the device and the start of operation. The operating modes of the device are determined by the physiotherapeutic procedures performed. As a rule, this is a frequency range of 5 h-15 Hz and a sound pressure level of up to 120 dB and a duration of 54-15 minutes. The device begins to work in therapeutic and/or preventive mode, transmitting hydroacoustic infrasonic vibrations through the liquid to the body. At the end of the exposure or if necessary, the device is turned off by the patient or paused. Due to the sealed nature of the device, it can be exposed to drops and splashes, as well as briefly immersed in water. Also, the device’s control unit can be programmed to automatically turn off, for example, after 15 minutes of operation. After the procedure is completed, the device is removed from the bathroom and the patient leaves it. Battery 8 can be charged via a sealed connector on the housing (not shown in the figures). It may also be possible to charge the battery inductively (wirelessly). LEDs for LED therapy (not shown in the figures) can turn on either automatically at the start of the procedure or in manual mode.

Claims (2)

1. A method of hydrovibroacoustic massage, including immersing the patient in a liquid, creating hydroacoustic vibrations in the liquid using a device with a hydroacoustic transducer in direct contact of the transducer membrane with the liquid, in which hydroacoustic infrasonic vibrations are created in the liquid using a device with positive buoyancy and an electrodynamic device located in it converter, with the converter membrane in contact with the liquid, wherein the device has a hollow and sealed housing consisting of upper and lower connected parts, in the end part of the inner surface of the lower part there is an annular protrusion for fastening the electromagnetic drive membrane, a bracket is attached to the lower part of the housing, on which the electromagnetic drive is fixed, and the bracket on which the battery is fixed, on the upper part of the case there is a mode switch for the control unit, as well as a handle, in the lower part of the case there is a groove to prevent airing of the membrane and there are legs for installation on a hard surface. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the liquid exposes the patient to light waves using LEDs for LED therapy located in the lower part of the housing.

Images